Hurricane Lala has closed off road access to Ka’u Hospital in Pahala, Hawaii, the only hospital serving the southeastern side of the Big Island, after the storm caused parts of Highway 11 and six bridges in the Ka’u District to collapse or wash out Aug. 16, according to an Aug. 17 report by the New York Times.
Pahala, a coastal town of about 1,800 residents, is now landlocked. County fire officials said they are prepared to transport patients with medical emergencies to the hospital by helicopter, and the Coast Guard may assist by sea if needed. Officials are currently working to secure federal and state assistance to rebuild damaged roads and bridges.
The isolation is similar to Hurricane Helene’s aftermath at Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C. in 2024, where road closures kept staff from reaching the facility and forced the HCA Healthcare hospital to rely on tanker trucks for water for months.
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